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March 22, 2007 12:15 IST
The banned United Liberation Front of Asom has lauded the initiative of People's Committee for Peace in Assam to hold a national convention of indigenous people's groups in Guwahati to iron out a strategy to pave the way final solution to the vexed ULFA insurgency problem dogging the North EastIndian state of Assam.
In an e-mail statement, the chairman of the ULFA, Arabinda Rajkhowa welcomed participants from different ethnic groups and representative of people's groups from 'neighbouring' states to the convention and hoped that the conclave would able to zero in on a 'peaceful' solution to the 'Asom-Indian' conflict that has turned 'bloody'.
The ULFA chairman stated that similar conventions held earlier had miserably failed to find a way for solution to the conflict and termed the present convention that went underway in Guwahati on Thursday a step in right time by the PCPIA.
He said failure of earlier national conventions to hammer out a solution led to continued killing and atrocities of 'freedom fighters' of ULFA as well as innocent people of Assam.
The ULFA leader suggested that the present convention instead of veering around 'misleading' terms like 'peace and peace-talks' should take bold decision on what should be the solution to the 'Asom-India' conflict.
It may be mentioned that for the ULFA nothing less than 'restoration of sovereignty of Assam' would lead to lasting solution to the on-going conflict that is now running for 27 years.
The PCPIA is an umbrella organisation of over a dozen indigenous people's groups and youth organisations in the state that was floated in the wake of now botched peace initiative by the ULFA-nominated People's Consultative Group that was formed in September 2005 to facilitate direct talks between the ULFA and government of India.
Three rounds of talks held between the PCG and the Government of India didn't suffice to bring the militant group to direct negotiation due to adamant postures adopted by both the sides on ULFA's demand for release of five of its senior central committee leaders from jail.
The ULFA stated that these leaders' opinions were of immense value for it to take a final stand on holding direct talks with the government. It alleged that the government of India had gone back on its promise to release these leaders.
However, the government of India stated that it was game to set the captive militant leaders free provided the ULFA leadership sent in a commitment in black and white to hold direct talks.
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